Why do platelets decrease when you have dengue fever?

The article is professionally consulted by Master. Doctor Nguyen Thi Nhat - Doctor of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Dengue fever can cause serious complications, including thrombocytopenia. Thrombocytopenic purpura is an immunological disease. Anti-platelet antibodies cause platelets to be destroyed in the spleen, resulting in a decrease in the number of platelets in the blood, the body will easily bleed with a slight impact.

According to WHO (World Health Organization), thrombocytopenia is considered a criterion to assess the severity of the disease. Thrombocytopenia is defined as a rapid decline in the platelet count or a platelet count below 150,000/mm3 (<150 G/L).
Platelets are small blood cells produced in the bone marrow. The low platelet count in dengue means the inability of the blood to clot and the inability to fight infections.

A decrease in platelet count affects the immune system, this happens because:
The number of platelets in dengue fever decreases as it suppresses the bone marrow (which is the site of platelet production). The platelet count in dengue fever decreases because the blood cells are affected by the virus that causes platelet damage. Antibodies produced during this phase destroy a large number of platelets during dengue fever.

Platelet counts usually drop significantly by day 4 of illness. In adults without dengue shock, platelet counts drop slightly to moderate from day 3 to day 7 of illness and return to normal by day 8 or 9. In young children, there are There is little correlation between platelet count and bleeding manifestations or platelet count and disease severity.

Symptoms of thrombocytopenia hemorrhagic fever include:
Severe skin bleeding with blood spots on the skin (petechiae) and large patches of blood under the skin (ecchymoses) Black stools Blood in the urine (hematuria) Leakage Severe plasma respiratory failure Liver, heart and/or other organ failure Changes in mental status with impaired consciousness Patient develops warning signs (especially lethargy and persistent vomiting) and people with low platelet counts and high hematocrit (elevated red blood cell counts) are at very high risk of organ failure complications or even death.

With a normal condition, the patient will have a prolonged fever accompanied by symptoms of headache, fatigue, vomiting affecting health and ability to work.
If the patient with severe dengue has low platelet count, there will be bleeding spots on the skin, other parts of the body and plasma leakage. Severe dengue can seriously affect the lungs, liver, or heart. Blood pressure can drop to dangerous levels, causing shock, and in some cases death.

To confirm the diagnosis, your doctor will order a number of tests including a test for IgG and IgM antibodies, a PCR test to check for the virus, and a complete blood count. There is no specific limit to the indication for platelet transfusion. In the elderly and those with other chronic conditions, platelet transfusions may still be required even with leukocyte overreaction (more than 50,000 white blood cells per 1 cm3). The doctor will decide based on the patient's health. The best thing a patient should do is discuss your current medical condition with your doctor.

Foods rich in omega-3, vitamins, iron and other minerals help fight antibodies and also increase platelet count. You can also consume fruits like papaya, kiwi, oranges, berries... to help increase platelet count.
Vitamin B-12 : This vitamin helps keep blood cells healthy. B-12 deficiency is associated with low platelets in dengue fever. There are these foods to increase platelets: Beef liver, Shellfish, Eggs, Dairy products...
Iron : Iron helps in the production of healthy blood cells. You can consume foods that contain iron which is very important for health and platelet count in dengue fever: River mussels, Pumpkin seeds, Lentils, Beef...
Vitamin C : close An important role for platelets to function properly. It also helps in iron absorption which helps to increase the platelet count in dengue fever. Good sources of vitamin C include: Mango, Pineapple, Broccoli, Green or Red Bell Pepper, Tomatoes, Cauliflower...
Vinmec International General Hospital is one of the hospitals that not only ensures quality expertise with a team of leading medical doctors, a system of modern equipment and technology, but also outstanding with comprehensive and professional medical examination, consultation and treatment services; civilized, polite, safe and sterile medical examination and treatment space. Customers when choosing to perform tests here can be completely assured of the accuracy of test results.